He went to Boron’s forge.
“I have arrived.”
Boron was just staring blankly into space.
Jeong Yusin waved his hand in front of Boron’s face.
“What’s wrong?”
“…Ah. You came?”
“Why are you so dazed?”
Bang!! Taaaang!! Bang!!
The sound of a hammer came from the corner beyond the wooden door of the smithy.
Jeong Yusin smiled contentedly.
“To be working so hard like that. You truly have a great assistant.”
“Ho ho ho.”
Boron laughed suddenly.
‘Does he really think it’s that good?’
Jeong Yusin also laughed along.
“Kruh!”
Boron began to sob. Thick tears streamed from his eyes.
???
“What’s the matter?”
Without answering, Boron stood up from his seat and walked into the room where the hammering sounds were coming from.
Jeong Yusin followed him inside. It felt warm. Einhofer was pounding at a red-hot sword.
Though he seemed to have lost some weight, it wasn’t anything too concerning.
Bang!! Taaaang!! Ting!!
The sword was deformed.
“Ouch. My hand slipped.”
Boron quickly bowed his head.
Clangclang!!!
The hammer flew and hit a pile of weapons and armor in the corner, creating a cacophony of noises.
“Will you stop already!”
“Master, it feels like I’m almost there.”
“We’re bankrupt! Look at all this scrap! When will we make money?”
Boron yelled.
“Just a little more.”
“Huhuh…”
At Einhofer’s words, Boron clutched the back of his head.
“Ainhofer.”
Jeong Yusin greeted him.
“You came.”
Einhofer smiled as he returned Jeong Yusin’s greeting. Despite his face and body being soaked in sweat, his eyes were shining like stars.
The beautiful sight of someone who strives.
“I’ll be cheering for you.”
“Thank you.”
Jeong Yusin took Boron, who had collapsed on the floor, and left the room.
Boron looked much older in the meantime.
Jeong Yusin took money out of his pouch and handed it over. It was the payment for the longsword he had brought on credit last time.
“I want to buy a set of Hard Leather Armor.”
“…You don’t plan to repair your Light Armor?”
“I’ve brought it along though.”
“Let me see it.”
He pulled out the tattered Light Armor from his backpack and showed it.
Boron clicked his tongue.
“This thing’s totally useless. You need a new one made.”
“I don’t have the money.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve spent most of it on running the inn.”
“What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”
Jeong Yusin briefly explained the situation from last time.
“…Even so. Handing over the inn to the Barbaroy? That’s quite something.”
“Let’s stop there. All this talk about cats and fish shops is driving me crazy.”
“I didn’t say anything. I’m just thinking if we built a fish farm. You know, one of those where you can pluck a fish out when you’re bored.”
Boron scratched his head while replying.
‘Same old story. This guy.’
Jeong Yusin frowned, his face as crumpled as Ainhofer’s failed works.
“Do you dislike doing business?”
“Alright then. Why do you make it so that no one can say anything? Tsk.”
Boron clicked his tongue and pulled out a set of leather armor from the corner.
It was a simple leather armor that only covered the shoulders and torso.
“Hmph. 30 silver coins.”
“Wow.”
The money slipped away like the wind.
“You should take a helmet as well.”
Naturally, Boron also brought out an iron helmet.
Jeong Yusin inspected the helmet from all sides before asking.
“What is this small pot?”
“It’s a helmet.”
A helmet similar to a kettle helm.
“It just looks like an iron cap.”
“It’s actually useful. Wide field of vision. There are leather straps inside to secure it under the chin. It doesn’t wobble and is comfortable. Give me 10 silver coins.”
Isn’t this just clearing out the old stock?
Jeong Yusin sighed and handed over silver coins from his pouch.
“Bring some alcohol next time you come.”
“Did I leave any with me?”
“…”
Boron glared at Jeong Yusin.
“It was a joke. I’ll bring a good bottle next time.”
“That’s better.”
Jeong Yusin equipped the leather armor and kettle helm and left the forge.
In contrast to Barbuta, due to its pot-lid shape, the vision was wide open. It was also easy to breathe.
*
The next evening.
Jeong Yusin checked his gear and went down to the first floor of the inn’s main hall.
Tarman approached.
“Are you leaving?”
“That’s right. Don’t leave any of the evening meal. I’ve got to stand guard in front of the labyrinth by dawn.”
“I understand. Please wait just a moment.”
Tarman hurriedly went into the kitchen and came out with a parcel.
“I’ve prepared this in case you feel hungry in the evening.”
A bento, perhaps.
“Thank you. If anything comes up, get in touch right away.”
“Understood. I’ll see you again when you return.”
Jeong Yusin departed from the inn after being bid farewell by Tarman.
The late summer evening with the sun setting.
Jeong Yusin walked through the streets, feeling the cooling wind.
He made his way to the labyrinth entrance, going against the crowds returning to the city from their adventures.
“Scath, Half-Barbaroy. Confirmed.”
The guard captain said as he returned Jeong Yusin’s pass.
When he reached the watch post at the labyrinth entrance, the guard captain was seated at his desk.
“There’s nothing much to do. Just keep your eyes open and check whether there’s anything unusual with people heading in and out of the labyrinth.”
The guard captain was a human man in his early forties with patchy beards.
The guard captain scratched his thick head.
“Have we met somewhere before?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Is that so? You seem oddly familiar. You’ve properly equipped yourself. Leather armor and a kettle helm. Looks like you know what you’re doing. This is pretty comfortable to wear in summer, isn’t it?”
“That’s true.”
“Do you have anything to declare?”
“I’ve brought a lunchbox.”
“I’ll just have a quick look then. There were a few incidents with some recruits who were drunk.”
“Yes. Please inspect it at your convenience.”
Jeong Yusin placed the parcel on the table.
The guard captain cleared his throat and opened the parcel.
“…Huh, so you’re someone who’s loved by his wife.”
After peering at the contents in the wooden compartment, the guard captain remarked.
Inside the wooden compartment was steak sandwiches cut for easy consumption.
Jeong Yusin scratched the back of his head.
“I don’t quite understand.”
“That isn’t a great thing?”
“I’ve never been married.”
The guard captain’s eyes widened.
“…So then? Surely not someone else’s wife? You crazy guy.”
Suddenly, why did the topic of a married woman come up?
“This is a misunderstanding. A friend working at the inn packed it for me.”
“That friend seems very devoted. Is she an old childhood friend?”
“No.”
“Well, speaking of childhood friends… let’s talk about my hometown…”
The guard captain started recounting his reminiscences with a nostalgic look in his eyes as he stared into the void.
Jeong Yusin leaned on his cheek, only half-listening to the guard captain’s story while occasionally nodding along and interjecting to keep him engaged. This made the guard captain more animated in his storytelling.
“…And that’s when I told my childhood friend…”
Clunk!
“Captain!”
A mole demi-human entered by opening the guard post’s door.
“What is it? I’m in the middle of something important.”
“There’s one less person here today.”
“I’m here.”
The guard captain pointed at Jeong Yusin.
“Half-Barbaroy? Follow me.”
“Assign him to a tough spot. He must be living too comfortably with a wife and childhood friend.”
Jeong Yusin turned his head and blankly stared at the guard captain.
“Why are you doing this?”
“It’s a joke. Better take this lunchbox with you quickly.”
‘This guy’s a bit off.’
Jeong Yusin silently sighed as he slung the parcel on his shoulder and followed the mole demi-human out.
“Do you know that there’s an entrance and an exit to the labyrinth’s transfer circle?”
“Yes.”
“You just need to keep an eye on the exit. I’ll show you where to stand.”
Jeong Yusin looked upward at the labyrinth as they walked.
A black monolith.
It was so tall and massive that it could crush most of the buildings nearby.
It looked even more majestic under the moonlight.
The entrance was bathed in moonlight.
The exit, however, was under the pitch-black shadow of the monolith.
Away from the exit magic circle, several dozen torches were placed.
Still inadequate, as there were also glowing crystal orbs providing bright lights.
Among those lights, there were soldiers wearing plate armor from the guard squad, as well as others who carried their own gear.
They were around forty individuals.
The mole demi-human led Jeong Yusin to the front of the exit magic circle.
“There are four of you in a group.”
The mole demi-human continued speaking.
“You can sit on the ground, but lying down is not allowed. Of course, sleeping is out of the question. You can eat food, but no cooking. Naturally, no mating allowed.”
“Understood.”
The mole demi-human then returned to the guard checkpoint.
Jeong Yusin briefly swept his gaze over the gathered people near the torches.
A frog demi-human wearing a robe.
An iron-masked man with a greatsword on the ground.
And then,
“An ogre?”
He had once seen one in the demon disassembly site. There was that memory of the tough leather he struggled to strip off then. This one appeared smaller than the ogre seen at the disassembly site.
“Half. A Barbaroy.”
The ogre, draped with a frayed cloth bearing the guard emblem, spoke.
Ah, so that’s why he’s smaller.
Still,
“Your mother must have had it tough.”
“Rude! My father was human.”
“He had peculiar tastes. I acknowledge his choice.”
“It’s a joke. Both my parents were human. I received the ogre branding, which caused this transformation. Call me Stoned Fist.”
“Scath.”
“Are you the butcher Scath? The one who killed all the slave hunters when he arrived at the Eastern Sector?”
“…Butcher?”
“…Didn’t you slaughter them mercilessly yet look perplexed about it? My underlings sweat blood cleaning up the mangled and torn bodies. That’s how your nickname came about.”
Jeong Yusin frowned at the ominous nickname attached to himself.
“Those were people who deserved death. By the look of it, you’re also a dark alley thug, right?”
“Yes. In the Eastern Sector, anyone not involved with the underworld is rare.”
“That’s an incorrect statement.”
Suddenly, the frog demi-human interjected surprisingly in a weighty voice.
“Croak. I’m a mid-level priest serving the water elemental deity. Returning to the topic, there are people who live outside of any clans in the Eastern Sector. A good example would be ones like me.”
“Is there a temple dedicated to the water elemental deity in the Eastern Sector?”
“That’s true. To be exact, it is underground within the Eastern Sector.”
This was a fact Jeong Yusin was unaware of.
The Eastern Sector has an underground area?
“There were some people with monster branding who were vulnerable to winter and sunlight. So it was created for them.”
Is that so?
Jeong Yusin nodded unconsciously as more information about the labyrinth was revealed.
At that moment, a jeering voice came from afar.
“Fellows of the monsters are having so much fun.”
Turning his head, Jeong Yusin saw a bull demi-human standing there surrounded by various others like dog demi-humans, rabbit demi-humans, mouse demi-humans, and more.
“Just ignore them.”
The half ogre Stoned Fist said.
“Why would I get angry? You’re the one with the monster branding, aren’t you?”
“…”
At that moment, the bull demi-human spoke again.
“Half-blood, you too. You cursed Barbaroy monster!”
“Hmph. Why start trouble? You should just quietly munch on your food. Hmmmm. Go away. Cack Spit!”
The unexpected profanity caused the bull demi-human to stare blankly at Jeong Yusin.
A vein burst out on the bull demi-human’s forehead.
“…Is this young half-blood out of his mind? Stand up. Let’s settle this with our horns!”
The bull demi-human stood up abruptly as he spoke.
“Umm. No. Hmm.”
“…You madman!”
“Stop!”
One of the guards stepped in and shouted.
“Enough! We didn’t place you here to fight each other.”
“Understood.”
“K!”
The bull demi-human stomped off, huffing and puffing.
“…What a sharp tongue that fellow has.”
When Jeong Yusin sat back down, the half ogre Stoned Fist said.
“Nice going, speaking your mind so clearly. It’s different from when we met at first.”
The Iron Masked man spoke with a hint of laughter in his voice.
“If we happen to meet twice, it’s fate. Call me Iron Mask. Is ‘Scath’ fine to address you by?”
“Yes. Feel free to call me as you please.”
He was a man with whom Jeong Yusin had already met. There wasn’t much change since their first meeting.
Four men of different races sat around the torch.
The warm summer night breeze wavered as it passed, swaying the torch.
“Let’s go back to the tavern massacre incident.”
Wasn’t that over already?
This half ogre. He’s persistent, isn’t he?
“That bastard kidnapped and killed children. That was his retribution.”
“He deserved his end.”
Iron Mask nodded.
“Huh. That was right. They were braindead bastards.”
The half ogre Stoned Fist crossed his arms and nodded.
Jeong Yusin couldn’t resist interjecting.
“I’m the righteous man of this labyrinth city, the acting conscience. That’s what I mean.”
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence momentarily surrounded them.
The frog demi-human rolled his eyes. The half ogre suddenly stared at the magic circle, and Iron Mask gently stroked his greatsword.
The atmosphere had become strange, so Jeong Yusin looked around.
Some were chewing on dried meat, while others were discussing which blacksmith made the best weapons.
Most had brought simple chairs to sit comfortably.
As Jeong Yusin looked around, he spoke.
“…But, isn’t the number of guards a bit excessive?”
“The reason is simple. We occasionally have people receiving strange brandings. We’re here to prevent accidents that could happen early.”
The frog demi-human answered Jeong Yusin’s question.
“What’s a strange branding?”
“Take monster branding for instance. There are various kinds, but that’s one example.”
“Monster branding? Even if someone turns into a monster, I don’t think the guards would rush in to strike them down.”
“It varies with the situation. When you transform into a monster, there’s one issue that arises.”
The frog demi-human glanced at the half ogre as he spoke.
“When you transform into a monster, a beastly nature arises. Some people can withstand it, while others succumb to it.”
The half ogre Stoned Fist answered instead.
“Can one return to normal if the branding is erased?”
At Jeong Yusin’s inquiry, the half ogre scratched his chin and thought for a moment before answering.
“Some return, others don’t. To set a loose guideline, the more one undergoes ma-so adaption, and the lower the rank of the monster form, the higher the probability of retaining a sound mind after transformation.”
Ma-so adaption?
Does it refer to leveling up?
To summarize,
“Does that mean if one levels up many times and turns into an inconsequential monster, they can maintain their sanity?”
“Yes. However, it’s not always certain. Once someone succumbs to beastly nature, even erasing the branding rarely brings them back to their right mind.”
Frog demi-human Croak nodded as he answered.
Jeong Yusin looked at the half ogre Stoned Fist.
“Barbaroy, my mind is sound, so don’t worry.”
“I wasn’t worrying.”
“…”
Once again, an awkward silence enveloped the torchlit area.
With nothing else to talk about, Jeong Yusin immersed himself in various thoughts.
Shiver!
Cold shivers suddenly ran down his spine.
Flash!
Jeong Yusin stood up from his seat, looking around. Somehow, his hand already held a sword.
Only then did some people recognize Jeong Yusin and began murmuring.
“…Is that the Barbaroy?”
“So young?”
“He’s a half-blood.”
“Barbaroy, what’s going on? Did you go into heat?”
The bull demi-human mocked again.
“…”
Jeong Yusin ignored the bull demi-human.
The lackeys surrounding the bull demi-human continued to chatter and joke around while he heard it with one ear and let it go.
The murderous aura dissolved like the wind.
‘What kind of person is this?’
Jeong Yusin broadened his view, looking further afield. He could see the relief shelter and the guild exchange office. A faint light leaked out from the relief shelter.
Several guards were staring at him intently.
With no other option, Jeong Yusin reluctantly sat back down and gazed at the exit magic circle again.
The half ogre Stoned Fist looked down at Jeong Yusin with a rather discontent expression.
“Barbaroy, seems like you need to worry about your own mind first.”
“It fluctuates somewhat.”
At Jeong Yusin’s reply, the three men took a slight step backward.
“Still, I did feel something similar to a murderous intent. That’s the truth.”
“Is, is that so?”
The frog demi-human Croak stammered as he responded.
Jeong Yusin’s gaze remained fixed on the labyrinth exit magic circle, but his thoughts were tangled in complex deliberations.
What manner of person could it be?
Cain?
No, if he were a knight captain, he would have come directly to slit his throat.
Could it be someone from the underworld in the Eastern Sector?
Does anyone from there brazenly emit such malevolent intent in a place like this?
Jeong Yusin suspended his judgment.
Even though he had exchanged a few words with the half ogre Stoned Fist, he did not appear to be a thoroughly bad person. Though it might be his misjudgment, he seemed like a man who at least kept within certain limits.
Jeong Yusin stroked his chin, bringing up and discarding various possibilities.
‘This city is truly no simple place.’
Jeong Yusin’s eyes darkened.
The darkness of the night grew deeper as well.
